Counter partition holder



Nov. 14, 1950 c. R. WALKER COUNTER PARTITION HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1947 INVIENTOR, CARL R. MLKE'R, BY M4. M

Patented Nov. 14, 1950 COUNTER PARTITION HOLDER Carl E. Walker, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Syndicate Glass, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., acorporation of Indiana Application February 15, 1947, Serial No. 728,855

3 Claims.

This invention relates to means permitting assembling and for holding in position in various arrangements a number of panels of glass or the like such as are commonly used in making up display compartments on counters in stores. While the invention-is not limited to the use of glass panels, since other materials may obviously be employed for the purpose, in the description of the invention herein these panels will be referred to as being made of glass. It is common practice to make up compartments upon a table or counter top by employing long and short lengths of these panels and assembling them to have the short lengths positioned and fixed between parallel long panels.

Since it is desirable to vary displays from time to time, as well as to vary the sizes of the compartments for retaining the goods to be sold, the arrangement of these panels is frequently changed from time to time and therefore permanent fixtures of any sort such as may be attached to the counter or top are not desirable.

My invention contemplates the forming of a simple trough-like structure having side pockets within which tongues of paneling engaged clips may be received, without the necessity of having to secure any parts to the counter or its top, and further without having to employ any holes or like devices in the top or its marginal retaining flange.

In addition, not only does the use of my invention permit such assembly as above indicated but the structure embodied not only takes up a minimum of space within any one compartment formed by the panels, but also serves as buffer means to protect the glass panels. Furthermore there is practically an unlimited number of sizes of compartments obtainable by use of the invention. Not only is the invention usable in forming the compartments indicated, but it also may enter into the formation of shelving for light articles such as may be desirable for display purposes.

With these objects and advantages in mind and others which-will occur to those versed in the art in the following description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in perspective in fragmentary form .of the structure embodying the invention shown as supporting two panels of glass on a table top;

Fig. 2, a view in top plan on a relatively enlarged scale of the structure embodying the invention;

.upwardly turned side walls 12 and l3.

Fig. 3, a'viewin transverse section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a view inside elevation of the structure embodying the invention to which a Y panel clip is attached; and

Fig. 5, a view in perspective of a shelf formation to which the invention is applied.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

The invention is embodied in various lengths of like members generally designated by the numeral l0. These lengths may be made to lit the individual counters or table tops as may be desired, or of that length desired over the area of that top within which the various compartments or the partitions are to'be formed and placed. In any event each member i0 is generally U shape in cross section, Fig.3, to have a fiat, planar web H from the opposite edges of which are The spacing between these walls "I2 and 13, between their lower end portions immediately adjacent the web II is made to equal substantially the thickness of the glass panel I4. In this respect, all of the panels are made out of the same thickness of material, a cross panel 15, 'for example, having the same thickness as that of the side panel l4. These side walls 12 and I3 are each planar in shape, and as indicated in Fig. 3, slope inwardly one toward the other to have their upper ends spaced apart a distance less than the thickness of the panels. The material out of which the member Ill is made is elastic in nature and prefof each section [6 to the respective walls l2 and I3, these webs I1 and 18 being parallel to each other and at the junctures with the sections [6 being, on their inner sides, as near right angles as may be possible without fracturing the metal in the forming operation. In this forming operation, the lower edge of section I6 is sheared from its wall so that an opening I9 is provided between that under edge of section I6 and the wall from which it was carried.

Clips generally designated by the numeral .20 are provided with wings 2| and 22 between which vertical edges of a glass panel, panel l5, for example, Fig. I, may be frictionally inserted and these clips 20 are further provided with a downwardly extending tongue .23. The inside lengths of these sections 16 are made to receive the tongue 23 therebehind with a close sliding fit of the edges of that tongue 23 against the end webs I! and I8. Furthermore the height of the walls I2 and I3 and also of the sections I6 are made to be such that the tongue 23 may have its lower end carried down below the under edge of the sections [6 in each instance to have the face of the tongue to be in sliding contact with the lower end portion of the wall l2 or l3 as may be the case. The lower end of the tongue will be substantially at the plane of the face of the under side of the web H to have the contact of the under edges of the wings 2| and 22 with the top edge of the sect on It. The spacing of the section l from the outer face of the wall [2 or I3 is made to cause the tongue 23 to be in firm engagement against the inner face of section l6 when the lower end of the tongue 23 slides over the wall therebelow.

Referring to Fig. 1, two of these members Il may be placed upon a counter top 24 to have an outer side panel I4 forced down into the outer member H between the walls l2 and I3. A cross partition panel l5 may have the clips 2!! engaged by their wings 2| and 22 around opposite edge portons thereof and the tongues 23 of the clips 2|] relatively pushed downwardly back of the sections H5 se ected in the opposing members ll. Obviously, while I have not shown it, a divider panel may be placed in the inner member I I back of the panel IE to complete that side of the compartment which is to be formed. The essential feature to be pointed out is that by use of the members H. the clips 20 may be inserted as desired a ong those members to carry the panels [5 therebetween. By inserting the tongue 23 on those clips 28, the dividing panel [5 is not only vertically supported, but the panel I4 extending thereacross is simultaneously held in its vertical plane Then as indicated in Fig. l, the sections l6 presented along the panel l4 occupy a minimum of space within any compartment formed, being extended from their respective walls of the members I I only that distance which will permit the insertion of the thickness of the tongue 23 therebehind. Thus sect ons l6 serve as spacers to prevent bott es and the like from being in actual contact with the outer panel M in particular so that the glass I4 is protected against breakage by blows from bottles and the like on the inside and likewise, blows against the glass 14 from the outside are not transmitted d rectly to the fragile goods on the inside. Normally the height of the top edges of the walls [2 and 13 (these edges being at the same height as the top edges of the sections I6) is generally the same as that of a guard or retaining flange 25 fixed along the outer edge of the top 24.

Referring to Fig. 4, some displays require the use of Y type clips 26 with diverging wings and a depending tongue 21 for insertion back of the sections I6. To prevent rocking of the clips 26, the edges of the clips slope outwardly opposite one from the other, and their junctions with the vertical edges of the top of the tongue 21 are allowed to fall below the top level of the clips It to be presented across rounded notches 28 provided across the top sides of the webs l1 and I8.

In Fig. 5, members H are engaged frictionally over opposite vertical edges of the glass panels 30 and 3! respectively. Shelf panels 32 have clips 28 engaged over each end, one clip adiacent each corner to have their tongues entered into opposing engagement under sections I6. While this arrangement is shown in vertical disposition it further illustrates the possibility of forming compartments with the panels 32 disposed on edges vertically between panels 30 and 3| forming side panels, the difference in this case over the structure shown in Fig. 1 being that there is a top member ll turned down over the top edge of the glass panel so as to support the then top edges of the panels 32, all as would be viewed with the right hand side of the drawing turned to the horizontal position.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. For a supporting wall and partition panels, the combin tion of a pair of yielding wall and panel engaging members; a tongue rigidly extending downwardly from said members; an elongated member in the nature of a trough opening from its upper side, having spaced side walls normally inclined, elastically inwardly one toward the other to receive compressively between those walls a panel, and said elongated memher having a bottom web uniting the lower portions of said trough side wall; and a plurality of wall sections extended at longitudinally spaced intervals along and outwardly from at least one 1 of said trough walls a distance equal substantially to the thickness of said tongue, said extended sections terminating above the lower end of said trough wall a distance to permit said tongue to lap over that wall portion below said section when inserted therebehind.

2. For forming a compartment of demountable panels, a pair of trough-like members, each of these members comprising a bottom web to contact an edge of a panel placed thereagainst; a wall extending from each longitudinal edge portion of said web, normally inclined one toward the other over the web to be yieldingly spread apart to contact opposite sides of said placed panel; outwardly extending wall sections spaced along each of said walls having their top edges substantially in a common plane including the top edge of the respective wall, said sections opening on the outside of the walls, from the section edges nearest said web; spring clips for engaging edge portions of other panels to be placed between the trough held panels; and tongues extending from said clips to pass inside selected wall sections and extend through the section openings to lap over the wall therebeyond; where by said trough members and the panels carried thereby may be selectively spaced one from the other by the lengths of said other panels mounted therebetween by said clips.

3. For forming a compartment of demountable panels, a pair of trough-like members, each of I these members comprising a bottom web to contact an edge of a panel placed thereagainst; a wall extending from each longitudinal edge portion of said web, normally inclined one toward the other over the web to be yieldingly spread apart to contact opposite sides of said placed panel; outwardly extending wall sections spaced along each of said walls having their top edges substantially in a common plane including the top edge of the respective wall, said sections opening on the outside of the walls, from the section edges nearest said web; spring clips for engag- 5 ing edge portions of other panels to be placed between the trough held panels; and tongues extending from said clips to pass inside selected Wall sections and extend through the section openings to lap over the wall therebeyond; whereby said trough members and the panels carried thereby may be selectively spaced one from the other by the lengths of said other panels mounted therebetween by said clips; said clips terminating by lower edges resting across said section top edges, and said other panel extending between said clips with end portions in contact with the outside faces of said sections carrying said clip tongues, to have said other panel positioned to have its edge portion intervening between said end portions be substantially in the plane of the outer face of said web.

CARL R. WALKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

